The Lions were 10-6 in 2011 and 4-12 in 2012. Which year was more indicative of where they stand entering 2013?

The answer likely lies in the results of their drafts since 2009.

The Lions' first NFL Draft conducted by Martin Mayhew as general manager, and Jim Schwartz as head coach, was 2009.

Jeff Backus and Jason Hanson retired this off season. Cliff Avril and Gosder Cherilus departed as free agents. They were drafted before 2009. Calvin Johnson and Dominic Raiola are the team's only starters remaining drafted by the Lions prior to 2009.

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The 2013 team essentially belongs to Mayhew and Schwartz. The crutch of replacing the ill-fated Matt Millen era is gone.

Free agency is a nice way to augment an NFL roster, but its lifeblood is the NFL Draft. How have Mayhew and Schwartz done so far? These are the best and worst draft picks by the current Lions' regime:

The Best

1. Matthew Stafford , first round 2009 - Yeah, he was the first overall pick, but not the obvious choice. There were many in this town, and national pundits, clamoring for Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith or Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry instead. Neither remains with their original team and have essentially been classified as draft busts.

There were experts who felt Mark Sanchez was the better quarterback. The Jets just took West Virginia's QB Geno Smith in the draft and seem desperate to replace Sanchez as their signal caller.

Stafford has thrown for more than 10,000 yards combined the last two seasons. He has already engineered several come-from-behind victories. He is, by far ,the best quarterback the Lions have had the last half-century. It was a great pick.

2. Ndamukong Suh, first round 2010 - A more obvious selection at No. 2 overall than Stafford at No.1 overall the previous draft, Suh is an immensely talented player. The Lions' turnaround late in the 2010 season was due to a large degree to Suh's presence on the defensive line. He's had some behavioral issues on and off the field, but Suh had a solid '12 season and should be a first-team All Pro in '13.

3. DeAndre Levy, third round, 2009 - A vastly underrated player. Levy has excellent speed, is a solid tackler and an excellent leader by example. At the time, it appeared the Lions reached taking him in the third round. Not anymore. The Lions were wise to retain Levy as a free agent this off season.

The Worst

1. Titus Young, second round, 2011 - It's one thing to be a draft bust. It's another to display a lot of ability and then go off the rail. I find nothing humorous about Young's troubles. They might be beyond his control. but the Lions were counting on him. He not only wasn't able to come through after a promising start, but became a major distraction in the process.

2. Mikel Leshoure, second-round, 2011 - The Lions traded up into the second round to select Leshoure. He suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury during training camp of his rookie year, which seems to have robbed him of his speed. While he rushed for more than 700 yards in 2012, he didn't have a run longer than 16 yards. The Lions still felt the need to augment the running back spot by signing free agent Reggie Bush.

The Lions traded into the first round to select Jahvid Best in 2010. He has been out since early in the '11 season because of concussion-related issues. Yet, Best contributed significantly while playing, and hasn't had off-the-field issues, like Leshoure.

3. Derrick Williams, third round 2009 - Was supposed to fill the role of return specialist and threat in the slot to compliment Johnson on the outside. Didn't even come close to panning out.

Jury Still Out

1. Brandon Pettigrew, first-round 2009 - Pettigrew had a poor season in 2012, but he did garner 71 and 83 receptions in 2010 and 2011. He is just 28 and has a solid work ethic. It's possible he could bounce back in '13.

2. Louis Delmas, second round 2009 - Like Pettigrew, a young, yet veteran player with a spotty track record. The modus operandi for Delmas is that he is a difference-making player "if" he stays healthy. That has been a big "if" so far.

3. Nick Fairley, first round 2011 - Fairly has had well-documented off-the-field troubles, and some injury issues. However, he has also displayed flashes of brilliance.

2012 Class

If you notice, there are no players from the Lions' 2012 draft class on the list. It's too small a sample size to come to any conclusions. The Lions, obviously, need dramatic year-to-year improvement from the class.

They contributed little as rookies, but first-rounder Riley Reiff is being counted on to fill the left tackle spot now that Backus has retired. The Lions need third-rounder Bill Bentley to pan out as either a starter at cornerback or nickel back. Both players seem capable. Second-round receiver Ryan Broyles is talented, but has suffered major injuries to both knees.

Also, the Lions' draft record with late-round picks has remained poor under Mayhew and Schwartz. There is some hope that '10 seventh-rounder Willie Young will start at defensive end this season, and '12 sixth-rounder Jonte Green has displayed some promise at cornerback.